To avoid a legal challenge in the local courts over the status of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) accounts, Guardian Media Sports has been reliably informed that the FIFA Normalisation Committee will be exploring other avenues where FIFA and CONCACAF can make funding accessible to it so the committee can carry out its responsibilities.
The source who spoke to us on Monday on the condition of anonymity said that apart from the current legal wrangle from former president William Wallace and his three vice-presidents Clynt Taylor, Sam Phillips and Susan Joseph-Warrick - regarding the TTFA accounts held at the First Citizens Bank (FCB), FIFA is also ensuring that future deposits into the said account are not at risk of any garnishee order.
The source added that while the main and urgent objective at hand is to pay outstanding salaries to the TTFA staff, it is also mindful of other relating expenses to football operations that must take place.
The staff of the TTFA has not been paid for March and April, and its general secretary Ramesh Ramdhan, who borrowed money to pay February salaries, also need to repay that debt soon.
Two weeks ago, Guardian Media Sports reported that the Normalisation Committee was seeking FIFA's assistance to ensure the salaries of the staff are being paid.
The source said that once the former president Wallace is a signatory to the FCB account of the TTFA then FIFA will not make any deposits to that account.
On Monday, Wallace sent a letter with the subject heading: Payment of salaries to staff.
The letter stated: "As you have no doubt heard, FIFA is now preparing to release funding to the TTFA that it has thus far refused to release before the purported appointment of the Normalisation Committee. For your peace of mind in these difficult times, I am writing to confirm that as soon as I am notified by the General Secretary and/or First Citizens Bank of the receipt of the monies from FIFA, I will take the necessary steps to ensure you are paid as owed."
When Guardian Media Sports contacted Robert Hadad, head of the FIFA Normalisation Committee on Monday he said, "I have no comment on the bank matter.
"However, the use of the TTFA letterhead by the former president is an illegal act and the next time he uses it, the Normalisation Committee will take legal action. It is a fraud. However, we wish to make it abundantly clear that at present no other persons are authorised to act on behalf of the TTFA. We trust that good sense will prevail to prevent an escalation of this matter but we are nevertheless in discussions with our attorneys to determine the best way to prevent the continuance of such unauthorised action."
Wallace had sent a letter to Stuart Young (MP) and Minister of National Security on April 16 regarding the government's accepting the use of the Home of Football in Couva and "has apparently entered into discussions with the Normalisation Committee led by Mr Robert Hadad, who is purportedly appointed by FIFA. The Constitution of the TTFA places the responsibility for negotiating and entering into any contracts or agreements on the President of the TTFA, a post I have held since the 24th November 2019."
The Home of Football is being used by the government in its fight of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Hadad said, "Those two acts are illegal. Mr Wallace is not authorised to use any instruments of the TTFA as of March 17 and he's not authorised to sign cheques. In my opinion, his actions while he has challenging FIFA's decision is designed to keep back the football from moving forward in T&T."
FCB closes accounts matter until CAS rules
Meanwhile, FCB responded to a second legal letter from the lawyers of Wallace on the deadline set on April 23 to do so.
Kendall Alexander, representing FCB pointed to Matthew GW Gayle, that (ii) "FIFA has appointed a Normalisation Committee and there has arisen a question as to the entitlement to certain accounts. (iii) Having regard to the current dispute which could involve assets held on trust, the Bank proposes to maintain the status quo by neither transferring any signatories on nor disclosing details on the TTFA’s accounts until there is either a determination in the arbitration, or there is a Court Order compelling the Bank to disclose certain information or take certain steps.
"To avoid any uncertainty on the Bank’s position, please note that given the on-going dispute, the Bank shall not permit any party (neither the TTFA nor the Normalisation Committee) to operate the accounts until the matter is settled and/or determined as set out above."
FCB has also denied that the Bank has not (to date) “handed over control” of the accounts to any third party and has no intention of doing same as set out in item (iii) above.
Upon hearing the news that the FIFA and CONCACAF are about to release funding of various kinds to its Member Federations which includes T&T on Sunday, Wallace told Guardian Media Sports that he's willing to perform all his duties as TTFA president by signing off the cheques.
The former officers believe that by handing over the TTFA accounts to the Normalisation Committee is an act of surrendering their challenge. Wallace's role for the payment of workers is one of a signatory, once all documentation has been prepared and signed by TTFA finance manager Tyril Patrick.
The other signatory to the accounts is former general secretary Azaad Khan since new general secretary Ramdhan did not officially receive the position as a signatory, following the United TTFA victory during the TTFA annual general meeting (AGM) on November 24.
Wallace told Guardian Media Sports on Sunday that he is willing to be a signatory to the payment of staff but was not willing to give up his power of being a signatory or change his signatories on the TTFA accounts.
FIFA recently announced that it was handing over grants to its member associations, particularly those in need of help during the current COVID-19 pandemic environment. It also announced that a FIFA Relief Fund will also be accessible to vulnerable member associations.
This means the embattled football association is in line to receive US$1.2 million (an estimated TT$6.7million), plus a CONCACAF US$160,000 (an estimated TT$1,040,000) grant, as well as an unknown amount for the relief fund to the Normalisation Committee.
Wallace and his vice presidents Taylor, Phillips and Joseph-Warrick are challenging FIFA decision to remove them from office on March 17, and appointment of the Normalisation Committee on March 27 to run the affairs of T&T football, through the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
SOURCE: T&T Guardian